Gaston Glock, an Austrian engineer, successful businessman, and manufacturer of injection molding parts and components, founded GLOCK Ges.m.b.H in 1963.

In the 1970s, development and production start-up of the first military products began to take place with the development of a line of knives, grenade casings and machine gun belt links.

In the early 1980’s, the semi-automatic GLOCK service pistol was born in response to meet the needs of the Austrian military. It’s polymer frame and the developed SAFE ACTION^® System revolutionized the pistol market

First of its kind

Mr. Glock was building the pistol for the Austrian military and law enforcement, which meant it had to be ready to fire at a moment’s notice in life-threatening situations. To address this critical need, Mr. Glock designed his pistol with three internal safeties – the trigger, firing pin and drop safeties – to ensure that the pistol would perform consistently while providing the best protection against accidental discharge.

Mr. Glock met additional requirements of the Austrian government by including a high-capacity magazine, lightweight materials, consistent trigger pull, and a hammer-forged barrel. Mr. Glock understood that reliability resides in simplicity, and therefore, he designed his pistol with as few parts as possible, minimizing its complexity. Today, the GLOCK pistol is made from an average of only 35 parts, which is significantly fewer than any other pistol on the market and makes it more durable, reliable, and easier to maintain.

Tested and trusted by the best

Mr. Glock’s innovative design successfully passed a series of stringent tests against domestic and international competitors. In 1983, the GLOCK pistol was accepted by the Austrian Army as their new service pistol.

Shortly after in 1984, the GLOCK 17 soundly passed the NATO durability test. As a result, the pistol was selected by the Norwegian Army as their standard sidearm, putting GLOCK on the road to becoming the preferred international law enforcement sidearm.

In November 1986, the company opened its U.S. headquarters, GLOCK, Inc., in Smyrna, Georgia.

The GLOCK pistol would soon be available in multiple sizes and accept different caliber ammunition. This combination, partnered with the simplicity and reliability of Mr. Glock’s design, revolutionized the pistol market.

Over 65% of federal, state and local agencies in the United States have been issued GLOCK pistols.